Hobby Farm Skid Steer Essentials: A Year-Round Setup Guide
SSD
Skid Steer Doors of North America
JULY 2026
A hobby farm skid steer does not need to be new, and it does not need every attachment in the catalog. It needs three things: a machine in solid mechanical shape, a cab that keeps you protected and comfortable in every season, and a short list of upgrades that make weekend work easier. This guide covers why an older used machine is usually the right buy, why the door is the first upgrade that matters, and which add-ons are worth your money.
Why used machines rule the hobby farm
A hobby farm runs on weekend hours. You might move round bales on Saturday, clear the driveway after a storm, and spread gravel twice a year. That kind of duty cycle does not justify a new machine payment.
That is why so many small properties run older iron. Machines like the Case 1840 and 1845C were built simple and built to last, and they still show up on farm auctions and classified listings every week. Bobcat, John Deere, New Holland, Gehl, and CAT machines from past decades are the same story. If the engine, hydraulics, and drive system are healthy, an older skid steer will do everything a five-acre or fifty-acre property asks of it.
The catch is support. OEM dealers move on. Factory cab parts for a thirty-year-old machine can be hard to find or long gone. Most aftermarket companies only build for the newest models, because that is where the volume is.
We took the opposite road. We build doors for older and obsolete machines that nobody else covers. If you just bought a used 1845C with an open cab, that is exactly the kind of machine we built our business around. See our full guide to skid steer doors for older machines for the details.
The hobby farm essentials checklist
Before we get into the door, here is the full short list. A weekend machine earns its keep when it is ready to work in any month, not just June.
- A sound base machine. Engine, hydraulics, tires or tracks, and pins in good shape. Cosmetics do not matter. Cab condition can be fixed.
- A real door. Heavy-duty polycarbonate, not a vinyl curtain and not a missing hole where the factory glass used to be.
- Heat for winter. A small cab heater turns January chores from miserable to easy.
- A working wiper. Snow, rain, and manure splatter all end up on the door. You need to see through it.
- Side window panels. They finish the enclosure so the heat you make stays in the cab.
- Lighting. Winter chores happen in the dark. An LED light bar fixes that for less than a tank of diesel.
That is the whole list. Notice what is not on it: a bigger machine, a newer machine, or a trailer full of attachments you will use once.
Start with the door
If your used machine came with no door, a cracked door, or a flapping vinyl cover, the door is upgrade number one. Here is why it comes before everything else.
Safety. A skid steer throws debris back at the operator. Fence wire, brush, gravel, and hydraulic fittings do not care that you only run the machine on weekends. Our doors are made from heavy-duty polycarbonate, the same Lexan material family used where impact protection matters, and they offer protection superior to tempered glass. The owner of our company, Leighton, swings a hammer into our 1/2 inch thick CAT D Series door on camera, unedited, to prove the point.
Comfort. An enclosure helps regulate cab temperature. That is the difference between an operator who does the job right and one who rushes back inside. On a hobby farm, comfort is what turns “I’ll deal with it in spring” into “I’ll go do it now.”
Value. A clean, enclosed cab gives an immediate lift to resale value. On an older machine, a new door is often the single most visible improvement you can make. Buyers see it before they see anything else.
Every door we build is CNC-cut and precision fit for its exact make and model. No guesswork. We fit ASV, Bobcat, CAT, Case, Gehl, John Deere, Kubota, Mustang, Manitou, New Holland, Takeuchi, and Terex machines. For example, our Case 1845C door runs $1,395, and it fits a machine most door makers have never heard of.
If your machine never came with a factory door at all, ask about our door frame kit. It gives an open cab the mounting frame the factory never installed, so the door has something solid to hang on.
Every door carries a limited lifetime warranty against door failure or breakage: one free replacement for life for the original owner, under normal conditions. Hardware carries a 3-month warranty. For a machine you plan to keep for years, that matters.
Comfort upgrades for occasional but year-round use
The trap with a weekend machine is that it sits when the weather turns. These add-ons keep it working all twelve months.
- Cab heater, $119. Paired with a door and side panels, a small heater makes an older open-cab machine comfortable in real winter. Our skid steer cab heater guide covers sizing and hookup.
- Electric wiper kit, $229. A door you cannot see through is a door you will prop open. The wiper kit keeps your sight line clear in snow and rain.
- Side window panels, $399. They close off the sides of the cab so the enclosure actually holds heat and keeps dust out.
- 22 inch LED light bar, $99. December chores start in the dark and end in the dark. Cheap fix.
None of these are luxury items. Together they cost less than one month of payments on a new machine, and they solve the exact problems that keep a hobby farm skid steer parked.
What the door does, season by season
| Season | Typical hobby farm jobs | What the enclosed cab does for you |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | Snow clearing, feeding hay, manure runs | Blocks wind and snow, holds heater warmth, keeps you working instead of thawing |
| Spring | Mud, manure spreading, garden and fence prep | Keeps splatter and cold rain off you during the messiest season |
| Summer | Brush cutting, gravel, mowing, dirt work | Shields you from thrown debris and keeps dust out of your face |
| Fall | Firewood, leaf cleanup, winter prep | Extends your working day into cold evenings without extra layers |
One door, four seasons of use. That is the math that makes it the first upgrade instead of the last.
What comes with the door
Buyers ask us this every week, so here is the concrete answer. Take our Bobcat F Series door as the example. It ships complete with:
- The polycarbonate door itself, CNC-cut for your model
- Handle and locking latch, with keys
- Hinges
- Weather seal gasket
- All nuts, bolts, and washers
The supplied hardware and printed instructions are in the box. Because each panel is CNC-cut for its exact make and model, the panel itself does not need trimming to fit. Cab-side mounting varies: some kits bolt straight on and others require drilling and bolting. Our installation guide explains the general process, and if you get stuck, you can call or text us at (800) 781-8000 and talk to a real person.
What it costs
Our doors run from $1,395 to $1,795 depending on make and model. Kubota SVL and SSV doors are $1,595, most Bobcat and Case doors start at $1,395, and Takeuchi and Gehl doors sit at the upper end of the range.
Shipping is simple: UPS 3 Day Air, $150 flat, typically 3 business days (not guaranteed). Your door is built to fit your machine, boxed, and on your farm the same week for most orders.
Put it against the alternative. A used machine at a fair price, plus a door, heater, wiper, and light bar, gives you a protected, comfortable, year-round machine for a fraction of what a new cab machine costs. And when you sell it someday, the enclosed cab is the first thing the next buyer notices.
Find your door in 30 seconds. Pick your machine’s make and model and see the exact door built for it: [Find Your Door]. Questions? Call or text (800) 781-8000, Mon–Fri 7am–4pm CST.